Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-05-13
MRS. MARY LIvEnMoRE's LECTURE.
"The Moral Heroism of the Temperance
Reform"

Reform"
Mrs. Mary A. Lvermore delivered a
temperance lecture at the opera house
f. ~ evening NJ der the auspices of the
Woman's Christian Temperance union.
She was introduced by Rev. Mr.. Ware,
and Mrs. l.. L. Wilbur, the president of
the union, occupied a seat with her on the
stage. Mrs. Livermore. as many of our
readers know, is an eloquent, forcble
speaker, and her address was listened
to attentively by the fair sized audience
present.
MRS. LIvERMoRE's ADDRESS.
In the year 1881 when William Lloyd
Garrison fluttered his banner and de-
manded immediate emancipation he was
called fool-hardy and not heroic. For
fully 20 years that was the opinion con
corning him, among great majority of
the people of this country. To-day is
everywhere similar talk among those
who do not understand the matter. There
never was so much liquor sold AS at the
present day. The constitutional prohlbl-
ton of the manufacture and OF the sale OF
alcoholic liquors is now considered fool
hardy. But if the matter is agitated for
40 years there will be almost an end of it.
To-day every standpoint is occupied and
the traffic is fought on all sides. 1t
|
divided but they are only fighting 1t in
different ways and with the same end in
| view. The magnitude of the liquor traihc
in the amount OF money spent astOnlshes
anyone who stops to consider It, The eX-
penditure for the past eight or ten years
has been 5000, 100000 This is an under
estimate. We are little concerned to-day
over the labor question. OF this vast
amount 100000, 600 are drunk up by the
laboring men. This class of our people
are constantly complaining of hard times,
| but their wages are too often spent Tor
! liquor, making it necessary for the wives
aud children TO work in order to make
both ends meet. If it costs us simply
5000 600, 600 year for drink we could
stand it, but the evil does not stop here.
| 1t costs us vast amount or hu-
man souls. Our lost women are more
easily saved than our lost men,
Nine-tenths of the inmates of our prisons
and reformatories are those who have
been sent there as the result OF strong
drink 1t is said that those who use liquors
must take the consequences, but TINS
statement only opens loophole through
which we can see the misery caused by
this evil. Our poorhouses, too, are filled
with the victims of strong drink, the pro
portion being out of 10 The present
drinking habits of our people are storing
up more insanity for future generations
| than all other causes combined. The asy-
| lutllS lOT lulDtClltS SllON 'lC u ulh VI
this statement. One half the idiots and
six-tenths of the insane in our country can
trace their weaknesses to strong drink.
We cannot escape the penalty OF violated
laws of nature. A society Tor the proven
ton of cruelty to children has strong
drink in some of its results to deal with,
and if it was not for this there would be
no need of such a society. This liquor
traf1icl is entrenched by government, by
custom and by public sentiment. Here in
Vermont during my stay here have seen
more drunkenness than in the city of Bos-
ton. | sometimes think that it would be
better if the prohibitory law were repeal
ed. lii the West | used TO uphold Yer
mont and her prohibtory law, but now
hesitate in doing so. The Woman's Ma
tional Christian Temperance union has
800, 600 members, and j. a terror to the
liquor dealers. They will be a continual
power, they are in for the war, AID are
bringing their daughters into the work.
The liquor men are just as solid in then
opposition, but the union is not dismayed
There is nothing that is everlasting and
imperishable but principle, and on thai
| ground we shall some time win.